Middleton resident Michelle Shamsee is asking the community for support to help get her life back on track after her car was hit by a man who allegedly robbed the BP gas station on University Ave and fled from police in a stolen car.

Middleton resident Michelle Shamsee is asking the community for support to help get her life back on track after her car was hit by a man who allegedly robbed the BP gas station on University Ave and fled from police in a stolen car.

According to Middleton Police, the robbery suspect led three officers on a chase through the residential area near Tiedeman’s Pond, just off Gammon Road on May 31.

Shamsee’s car sustained $10,000 in damages and her insurance had lapsed at the time of the incident. The auto owner’s insurance of the stolen vehicle will not pay anything because damages caused by theft are not covered in their policy. Shamsee is entitled to restitution but will not likely receive anything from the defendant.

“Getting restitution from a person who isn’t working and is stealing a car is like getting blood from a turnip, it’s not going to happen, and meanwhile I’m still without a car,” Shamsee said.

Shamsee says her insurance lapsed because she started a new job as a custodian at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and had to wait three weeks before getting her first paycheck. Living paycheck to paycheck she didn’t have enough to pay for her insurance, car payment and rent all at once.

“I should have paid my insurance and then I wouldn’t be in this position right now,” Shamsee laments.

Michelle is working two part-time jobs and a full-time job, she says, and adds that she is considering looking for another full-time job to come up with the money she needs to get her car back in shape. The car is a Toyota Yaris she bought in March 2014.

Shamsee started a gofundme campaign with a goal of $7,500. She is already making payments to an auto repair garage to pay $2,783 over four months to get the car running. She says the $7,500 would be used for body repairs.

Shamsee says her neighbors have helped out a lot by bringing over groceries and offering her rides. She said someone even anonymously slipped a 100 bill under her door.

Michelle said she was never particularly close with any of her neighbors, but following the incident, “My neighbors were neighbors and really came to my aid,” she said.

Shamsee says not having a car is making it difficult to get to her jobs and do things for her two teenage daughters.

Shamsee says she appreciates the Middleton Police but questions why they pursued the assailant down Fortune Ave. since it is a narrow residential street. She said the assailant could have turned down Sweeny Drive and endangered children.

“Unfortunately for me he hit my car,” Shamsee said. “But luckily he did hit my car because if he kept going straight he could have killed someone’s kid.”

The suspect was found hiding in the pond with a fire department drone and taken into custody.

“I will never see restitution, and even if I did I would donate it to a charity,” Shamsee added. “If the community and everyone helps me out with getting my car fixed I shouldn’t get paid twice.”

You can contribute to Shamsee’s gofundme campaign at gofundme.com/yayvkg.